Machine for sealing and stamping mail-matter.



L. I. HALL. MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. II, 1910. 1,173,263. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

1'! SHEETS-SHEET I.

M/QM

ATTORNE rs THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 00., WASHINGTON, n. c.

- L. I. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II, I910.

1,173,263, Patented Feb. 29,1916.

1] SHEETSSHEET 2.

I I INI/ElI/TOR /fl BI Anna/mus 777 THB COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co..WASHINGTON, D. C

L. J. HALL. MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. L910. 1,173,263. Patented Feb. 29,1916. 17SHEETSSHEET 3.

l/VVEIVTOR ,40 ATTORNEYJ THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

L. .l. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB.H.1910. 7 1,173,263. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

1? SHEETSSHEET 4.

-- llvl/Elvrol?- TTORN E Y 3 THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 520, WASHINGTON, D.C.

L. 1. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEBAII, I910. v

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

I7 SHEETSSHEET 5- Via IIVI/ENTOH A ATTORNEY;

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALlNG AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. H, 19). 1,173,263. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

I 11 SHEETSSHEET 6' 4 INVENTOR Arm/Mrs APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1910.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

H SHEETS-$HEET 7.

ATTOR/VEN c m x o T c m m A w m c m A R o o N A n m m u L o c m n L. J.HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

Patented Feb. 29, I916.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II. I9I0. 1,173,263,

I? SHEETS SMEETS.

III

l /I/ I/E N TOR WITNESSES:

w ATTOR/VEI5 L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. II, I910.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

1] SHEETSSHEET 9.

,} Wi/VTOR ATTORNEYS L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1910.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

1] SHEETS-SHEET 10.

THE COLUMBIA PLA IOGRAPH CO, WASHING TTTTTT c.

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

1] SHEETSSHEET H Alarm/mm APPILICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1910.

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB II. I910.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

I I SHEETS-SHEET l2- INVENTOR ,M

M AMArmR/I/Hs THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 00.. wAsumuluN. D c.

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

- APPLICATLON FILED FEB. H. l9l0. 1,173,263.

INVENTOR A ATTOR/VE rs W/Z'IVESSES 0.. \VASHINGTON, n c.

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. H. 1910.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

17 SHEETSSHEET 14.

THE COLUMBIA mArgoaRAPI-l co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; III 1910.

1 173,263. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Il SHEETSSHEET I5.

v y 3 0 I L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOR SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1910.

1,173,263. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

3513 wife's M2 I /Q THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. C,

L. J. HALL.

MACHINE FOB SEALING AND STAMPING IVIIAIL MATTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.11, 19W.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

I7 SHEETSSHEET I7.

THE COLUMBIA PumounAPi-l 60-, WASHINGTON, D. c

@NFTE @TATE% ATFNT @FFltQE.

LOUIS J. HALL, OF FREEPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MORRIS-HALL MAILCLOSER COMPANY, OF NEV-YORK, N. Y., A CQR-PORATION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOB SEALING AND STAMPING MAIL-MATTER.

Application filed February 11, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS J. HALL, a citlzen of the United States, andresident of Freeport, county of Nassau, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sealing andStamping Mail-Matter, of which the following is a completespecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ma chine; Fig. 2 avertical transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the machine,the feed rolls being shown in end elevation; Fig. 2 a similar view ofthe lower portion of the machine, Figs. 2 and 2 constituting a verticalsectional view of the entire machine; Fig. 3 a front elevation of thelower portion of the machine; Fig. i a horizontal sectional view of aportion of the machine showing the stamp holding and feeding means; Fig.5 a side elevation of the stamp holding reel and tension device; Fig. 6a horizontal sectional view of the stamp strip feeding means; Fig. 7 avertical sectional view of the sealing and stamping table showing thestamp strip feeding means in side elevation; Fig. 8 a horizontalsectional view showing the sealing and stacking devices; Fig. 9 a sideelevation of the clutch operating means which controlls the stamp feed;Fig. 10 a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 asideelevation of the feed roll carrying the controller fingers; Fig. 12 aside elevation of the clutch operatingcam, the cam operating fingers andthe controller connected thereto, the controller finger pivots beingshown in section; Fig. 13 a vertical sectional view of the clutch whichconnects the driving mechanism to the stamp feeding and aflixing means;Fig. 14 a vertical sectional view of the clutch taken on the line XIVXIVof Fig. 13; Fig. 15 a detail side elevation of the clutch and the clutchoperating dog; Fig. 16 a face view of the retaining ring of the clutch;Fig. 17 an edge view of said ring; Fig. 18 a face view of the cam ringof the clutch; Fig. 19 an edge view of said cam ring; Fig. 20 a sideelevation of one of the cam dogs; Fig. 21 a plan view of the inner sidethereof; Fig. 22 a side elevation of the stacker lever and its operatingcam; Fig. 23 a side elevation of the lever for holding the stamp stripduring the affixing operation, and its operating cam; Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Serial No. 543,348.

24: a side elevation of the stamp affixing lever and its operating cam;Fig. 25 a detail vertical sectional view of the flap moistening device;Fig. 25 a detail vertical sectional VlGW showing the means for varyingthe level of the water in the tank of the flap moistening device; Fig.26 a horizontal sectional view of the moistening belt, the liquidreceptacle being shown in plan view; Fig. 27 a vertical sectional viewof the sleeves and cams carried by the main driving shaft; Fig. 27 adetail plan view of the clutch for connecting and disconnecting thesleeves 88 and 145 Fig. 28 a front elevation of the upper portion of themachine showing the feed rolls on one side of the envelop track, therollers and other mechanism on the other side of said track beingremoved; Fig. 28 a detail sectional view of one of the clutches carriedby the shafts 13 and Hi Fig. 29 a front view showing the two feed rollswhich are removed from Fig. 28; Fig. 30 an end elevation of thecontroller fingers and the cam for operating the stamp feed clutch,several of the fingers being turned inwardly to operate the cam; Fig. 31a side elevation of the envelop holder adapted to engage the upper edgesof the envelops; Fig. 32 a detail plan view of the fiap moistening apronand its operating means; Fig. 33 a side elevation of the envelopretaining roll, the escapement, and the presser fingers operating inconjunction therewith; Fig. 34: a plan view of the devices shown in Fig.33; and Fig. 35 a diagrammatic view of the gearing driving the shafts inthe upper portion of the machine.

In the operation of the improved machine herein shown, it iscontemplated that envelops to be sealed and stamped will be supplied inquantities to a magazine or holder from which they will be delivered oneby one to the flap moistening and sealing mech* anism, the said envelopin its passage being engaged by a controller mechanism which governs theoperation of the stamp feeding, moistening and aflixing mechanism. Theenvelop feeding means supports the unsealed envelops and feeds them, oneby one, through the flap moistening operation of the machine. Means areprovided for compressing the envelop at the moment when the flap is tobe pasted thereto, thereby insuring the proper closing of the envelop.The envelop in its passage to the sealing mechanism is engaged by acontrolling device by which the feeding and affixing of the stamps isregulated, said feeding and affixing means remaining inoperative whenthere is no envelop to be engaged by it. After the envelop has passedthrough the sealing means it is delivered to the receiving magazine orstack from which the envelops may be removed in quantities as theyaccumulate therein.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the main frameof the machine, 2 the receiving magazine in which the envelops to besealed are stacked; 3 the envelop feeding means; a the flap moisteningdevice; 5 the sealing means; 6 the stack or magazine for the sealedenvelops; 7 the stacker device, and 8 the stamp feeding means. Thesevarious mechanisms will now be described in the order in which theyoperate upon the envelop.

Magazine and se7mrat0r.-The magazine consists of a downwardly andinwardly inclined table or support 10 which is provided at its lowerdelivery end with a part 11 which may be adjusted by means of the screw12 and locked in its adjusted position by the lock screw 13. By thismeans a limited number of envelops are allowed to pass to the separatorrolls at one time as will be more fully hereinafter described. Themagazine is formed with a side lt on which one edge of each envelopbears. In the magazine and traveling on the inclined bottom thereof is afeeding weight 2 by means of which the envelops are kept pressed intocontact with the releasing device 26.

On a horizontal shaft 15 directly in front of the open lower end of themagazine and slightly above the delivery end of the adjustable plate 11is mounted the first sepa rator roll 16, said roll comprising threeseparated parallel disks so located as to engage the face of theforemost envelop. The envelops are arranged in the magazine with theirlongest edges vertical and their flaps extended, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1, so that the first separator roll will engage theenvelop on its sealing side. A portion of the periphery of the firstseparator roll is formed of rubber 17, having horizontal serrationstherein at intervals, in order to increase the gripping effect of theroll on the envelop. This roll is arranged to rotate in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and serves to deliver the envelopsdownwardly into the machine and off the edge of the plate 11. On ahorizontal shaft 18 located directly below shaft 15 is the secondseparator roll 19, said roll having a broad face and operating betweentwo of the disks of the roll 16 and serving to engage the envelops belowthe first roll. A portion 20 of this roll is also formed of rubber whichis horizontally serrated. A portion only of the rolls l6 and 19 isformed of serrated rubber, for the reason that these rolls time thefeeding of the envelop. They operate in time with the escapement 31,which will be hereinafter described, and exert a strong feeding impulseon the one envelop when it is needed and do not exert any appreciablefeeding pressure when the escapement is holding back the envelops. Thisavoids inury to the envelop; avoids crowding an envelop against theescapement, and allows the retaining roll, which will be hereinafterdescribed, to more easily hold back succeeding envelops. Furthermore,the feeding impulse caused by the edge of the rubber as it strikes theenvelop is stronger than if the rubber were continuous. A vertical guideplate 21 is arranged opposite the open de livery end of the magazine andbetween it and the separator rolls, said plate extending verticallydownwardly almost to the stamping and sealing table 22 and forming aguide for the envelops throughout their downward movement. This plate isslotted to permit the separator and feed rolls to project through it.

In hearings on the lower portion of the magazine at the delivery endthereof is a rock shaft 23*. On said rock shaft is loosely mounted adepending bifurcated link 24 in the lower end of which is journaled oneend of a horizontal shaft 24. On this shaft and between the arms of thelink 2st is secured a retaining roll 25 having preferably a rubberperiphery, and being so arranged that it will lie very close to theperiphery of the second separator roll 19. To yieldingly hold theretaining roll in proximity to the roll 19 an outwardly extending arm 24is connected to the upper end of the link 2%, (Figs. 2 and 34C) and tothe outer end of said arm is connected one end of a spring 24, the otherend of said spring being connected to a rigid stop. To limit themovement of the arm 24 and to regulate the position of the retainingroll with respect to the separator roll, is provided an adjustable stop24 This retaining roll is rotated in the direc tion indicated by thearrow in Fig. 2, and in the same direction as the rotation of theseparator roll so that their adjoining faces move in oppositedirections. On the rock shaft 23 is loosely mounted a curved presserfinger 23 which directs the envelops between the second separator rolland the retaining roll. This presser finger is bifurcated and straddlesthe retaining roll in ord r to engage the envelop on both sides of saidroll,

to press the envelop against the second separator roll below the centerof the retaining roll. This increases the feeding power of said roll andinsures the passing of the envelop into the bite of rolls 43 and 4A. Theupper end of this presser finger is also bifurcated, and embraces therock shaft on both sides of the link 24?. Carried by the presser fingerand extending outwardly therefrom in a substantially horizontal positionis an arm 23, to which is connected a spring 23, the other end of saidspring being connected to a suitable rigid stop. The end of said armbears against an adjustable stop 23, by means of which the position ofthe finger with respect to the roll 19 may be varied. It is manifestthat the finger 23 may yield to permit envelops of different thicknessesto pass downwardly. The purpose of the retaining roll is to prevent morethan one envelop being fed downwardly by the separator rolls and it willbe readily seen that by rotating as described its tendency will be tolift the envelops and return them toward the magazine. It is clearthat-the friction of the two separator rolls on an envelop will readilyovercome the friction of the retaining roll, and that, therefore, thislatter roll will not prevent the proper feeding of a single envelop. If,however, two envelops pass downwardly from the magazine the one which isengaged by the two separator rolls will be moved on downwardly in themachine. A section of the shaft 24 of the retaining roll is madeflexible in order that said roll may be free to swing outwardly awayfrom the separator rolls while at the same time permitting its outer endto be arranged in fixed bearings, (Fig.

In order to hold the envelop in proper position to be automatically fedfrom the magazine, I provide a sensitive anti-friction holding device 26for the upper edges of the envelops. This holder is mounted on anadjustable bracket 27 connected to a water tank 28, which will behereinafter described, said holding device being vertically adjustableon said bracket in order to properly place it on the upper edges ofenvelops of different lengths. By means of this holding device theenvelops are held in an inclined position, as indicated in Fig. 1, sothat their lower edges will be properly presented to the separatorrolls. I have found that by providing this device the feeding of theenvelops will proceed automatically without any likelihood of themachine becoming clogged by reason of the uneven feed of envelops. Thisholding device consists of three small disks or rolls separated suitabledistances and se cured upon a shaft 30, (Fig. 31) and said shaft isjournaled on centering points 30 so that it will rotate with very littlefriction. In the magazine is arranged a feed weight 2 whichautomatically moves down the inclined bottom of the magazine and feedsthe envelops off the end of the stop plate 11, keeping said envelopspressed against the feed rolls 16. The upper edges of the envelops bearagainst the holding device, keeping said edges pressed backward beyondthe .the envelops in free edge of the plate 11 and causing the envelopsto incline upwardly and outwardly away from the feed roll until theydrop otl the edge of said plate. This prevents an excessive number ofenvelops crowding down between the separator roll and the plate 11,permitting only envelops enough to fill the space between said plate andthe separator roll to drop from said plate. It will thus be seen thatthe envelops are fed automatically without any danger of crowding themachine and that the attendance of an operator to feed the envelops isunnecessary.

Substantially on a level with the centers of the second separator rolland the retaining roll is arranged a reciprocating escapement 31, saidescapement being supported by and reciprocating on a horizontal bracketsuitably supported in the frame of the machine. (Figs. 2, 23 and 34.)This escapement normally prevents any envelops from passing, but at theproper time, that is, at the time when the rubber portions of the rolls16 and 19 engage an envelop, recedes slightly to allow one envelop topass.

The escapement is yieldingly pressed against the guide plate 21 by meansof a spring 33, one end of which is connected with the escapementthrough a screw 34, the other end of said spring being connected to arigid part carried by the bracket 32. On the shaft of the retaining rollis arranged an escapement-operating finger 35 which is adapted to engagea pin 36 on the edge of i the escapement. This operating finger is sotimed in its movement with respect to the separator rolls that it willmove the escapelnent outwardly and away from the guide plate 21 at theproper time and just sufficiently to permit a small portion of oneenvelop to pass below said escapement. The action of the eseapement isso timed that it will permit the separator rolls to move the end of oneenvelop downwardly below the point of contact between said rolls and theretaining roll and will almost instantly return to its holding positionpressing lightly against the face of the passing envelop to retain thesecond envelop should there be one engaged by the retaining roll, saidsec- 0nd envelop resting on said escapement, the pressure of theescapement not being suliicient to retard the passing envelop.

In order to support the envelops and hold them in proper position forthe feed and separator rolls I provide a pair of guide plates 37 whichare rigidly secured at their upper ends to the rock shaft 23*, theirlower ends forming guides and supports to hold position to be engaged bythe second separator roll and the retaining roll. One of the guides 37is provided with an arm 39 which is adapted to be adiusted by a screw40, and is maintained yieldingly

